Lost Kin Chronicles: Dreaming of a White Christmas
by garg-girl
Summary: Story 6. The girls bring the clan home for the holidays. Warning: mild coarse language


**Lost Kin Chronicles: Dreaming of a White Christmas_ by garggirl_**

Disclaimer:

All canon characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Disney/Bueno Vista Television.

No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized

by the copyright holder.

All original characters are the property of garggirl

------

_**Dec 18, 2003**_

Snow and wind swirled around the gargoyle statues adorning the parapets of Wyvern Castle high atop the Eyrie Building. Dreary gray clouds blocked out the sky and the passing of day into night was barely noticeable to the inhabitants of the city. To the figure coming out on the battlements, this time of day was certainly something to behold.

Stone chips joined the falling snow as the Manhattan clan awoke in the cold December air. Ann smiled as she adjusted her wool lined coat wrapped around her nimble body. "Hey, movers, what's shakin'?" she called cheerfully.

"'Allo, lass." Hudson peered up at the sky. "I see tis still be snowing."

"Swell," Brooklyn said sarcastically as he stepped down off his perch gingerly. "Just what I wanted, a white Christmas." He crossed through the mingled drifts of fresh snow and melted slush to kiss Emony.

"It's funny you mentioned Christmas," she said brightly. "I just spoke with the folks back home and they're expecting the whole family home for the holidays."

Lex turned a sad gaze onto Eve. "So you're going home?"

"Lex," Ann smiled. "I don't think you quite heard me. I said they want the WHOLE family."

"Y-you mean?" Lex asked the human carefully.

Ann giggled slightly. "I mean...okay?"

"Woo-hoo!" Lex elated, wrapping Eve up in his arms. This caused everyone to laugh hard.

Goliath looked calmly at the woman before him. "It is a generous offer, Ann, but it would be a terrible imposition on your family."

"Oh pish posh," Ann replied, "You've never seen a Curran Christmas...we go all out. Not just for the kids, but for everyone."

Broadway looked hopefully at his Leader. "What do you say, Goliath? It might be fun to get away from the city for a while."

Goliath looked at the innocently hopeful faces of his young warriors. "I believe I am being ganged up on here. What do you think, Hudson?"

"Tis might be a wee bit o' fun to see thae farm again," the elderly gargoyle replied.

Dawn and Eve linked arms with Goliath and mock spouted. "C'mon, Goliath. You haven't lived until you've had one of Momma's Christmas breakfasts," Dawn said sweetly.

"Yeah," Eve agreed. "Every kind of breakfast food known to existance."

"I'm sold!" Broadway interjected.

Goliath sighed heavily in defeat. "Very well." He returned his attention to Ann. "We would be honoured to join your family for Christmas."

Ann smiled broadly. "That's more like it."

A short distance away, Emony clung onto Brooklyn and trembled.

Brooklyn looked down at her, confused. "What is it Em?"

"I don't remember those people?" she replied softly. "What do I say? What do I do?"

"Hey, hey, hey," Brooklyn replied soothingly. "Everything will be alright. Just follow Dawn and Eve's lead, and I'll be right there with you in case you need me, okay?" Emony nodded slowly.

It was then, that Elisa appeared in the tower archway. Immediately, Goliath was at her side.

"My love, you should not be out here in your delicate condition," Goliath cautioned.

Elisa smiled slightly. "Relax, Big Guy, I'm pregnant, not dying. I just came out to tell Ann the game is set up."

"Game?" Brooklyn asked carefully, coming closer.

Ann smiled slyly. "I thought I might teach you a bit of Euchre...it's a family favourite. Every christmas, we have a little tournement, top winner gets a prize and a trophy. I just thought ya'll would like to be prepared."

"Cool," Brooklyn replied nonchalantly.

------

Brooklyn was dealing. "So tell us what Christmas is like in the Curran household."

"It's about the same as anywhere else," Ann replied, her eyes never leaving her cards. "Of course we have our own traditions."

"Yeah," Dawn said absently, her eyes trained on her own hand. "Everyone makes out like a bandit, as per usual, but my favourite tradition is the big family breakfast that Momma puts together."

Eve nodded. "And then there's the snowmobile race in the fields." Eve glanced over at Lexington, taking a brief pause from her Internet surfing. "The rules of the race are that there are no rules. So, that means we can soup up our snow-do's."

Lex smiled broadly. "More power!" and then he proceeded to grunt in a Tim 'the tool man' Taylor kind of way.

Elisa, her pregnancy now beginning to show, eased herself into a nearby armchair. "Is there anything else we should know?"

"Well," Ann piped up, "The kids are real easy to handle...it's the men we have difficulty with."

"What do ye mean, lass?" Hudson asked, arching an eyebrow questiongly.

Ann smiled. "I mean, the men are worse than the kids. They are the first ones up and under the tree in the morning before the rest of us have barely opened our eyes."

Everyone laughed hard.

"But just so you know," Ann continued, "if you think winters in New York are bad, just wait until you've experienced a Canadian winter in the countryside. I just thank Spirit for the Snowmobile Patrol!"

"I hear that," Eve giggled.

"The Snowmobile Patrol?" Broadway asked carefully around a mouthful of ham and cheese sandwich.

Ann laid down a card. "It's a group of locals with snowmobiles. They bring supplies to people who are stuck out of town or bring people into town so they can run errands on days when there's really bad weather."

"That is a very admirable service," Goliath replied.

"And I don't really think it hurts that our family makes up more than half the town," Ann giggled.

"Really?' Lex asked. "You're related to half the town?"

Ann, Dawn and Eve nodded.

"Mostly on Momma's side," Dawn added.

The room fell into a hush as everyone continued on with their different tasks. Brooklyn was the first to break the silence as he fiddled with his cards.

"I'm reminded of a story. You've probably heard it. The, uh, King and Queen of HEARTford were playing golf with TEN CLUBS, when their son, Jack, remarked how strange it was they had only NINE SPADES between them. Just then, ACEy and her little dog, DIAMOND, started singing "Four Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend." Whereupon the entire family beat her to death and buried her with NINE SPADES. Did you get it?"

"Everybody did," Dawn sighed, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Emony raised an eyebrow slightly. "Well, I didn't. What do I play?"

"NINE OF SPADES!" everyone replied in unison.

"Please! No prompting," Emony replied, glancing around, before laying a card on the table. "I play nine of spades."

Angela cast an amused look at Brooklyn. "What do you want for Christmas this year, Ann."

"I really haven't given it much thought," Ann replied truthfully. "I've got three beautiful children, an adoring boyfriend, and Em is back with the family...there's really nothing more I could want."

"By the way," Brooklyn piped up. "Where are the lil ankle-biters?"

Ann giggled slightly as she trumped Brooklyn's Queen. "Owen took them with him and Alex shopping. Man, I'd love to be a fly on the wall of that little trip."

Goliath arched an eyebrow questiongly. "And why is that?"

"Think about it. One adult, four children...you do the math."

Everyone laughed hard.

Brooklyn dealt out the next round of cards. "Y'know, after all these years, I still don't get this whole Santa Claus/Christmas thing. A fat man, trying to squeeze through a narrow chimney, and I taunt him with Oreos and whole milk? What kind of sadistic freak thought that one up?"

Ann laid down a card. "Well, growing up, I never put out cookies. I figured that Santa would be all cookie'd out but the time he got to our house so I used to leave a sandwich and a cup of hot chocolate for him, some lettuce for his reindeer, and a big carrot for Rudolph."

Emony gave Ann a quizzical expression over her cards.

Ann furrowed her brow. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Emony quickly replied.

"No," Ann said. "Really, what's wrong?"

"Alright," Emony sat up a little straighter. "Let me see if I've got this reindeer thing straight. There's... ah... there's Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen... John, Paul, George and Ringo."

Ann laughed slightly. "No, it's Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen..."

"Huey, Duey and Luey."

"No, those are ducks," Eve giggled.

"Then how do they pull the sleigh?"

Laughter reverberated off the clan suite walls.

------

_**Dec 20, 2003**_

Ann's family and the clan were gathered in the clan suites, fourteen duffle bags laying in a pile nearby.

"Okay," Ann sighed. "We're just waiting on one more person."

Elisa, looked at her friend quizzically. "One more? Who?"

Ann was about to open her mouth to reply when she was suddenly silenced by an invading voice.

"Are you sure about this, my dear?" Owen asked, entering the room as he zipped up his duffle bag. "Meeting the family is a very big deal, and I'm not sure I can keep Puck under wraps for very long."

Ann linked an arm with his. "Nonsense, they'll love you. But just to warn you now, Momma will probably put you through...the test."

"Duh duh duh!" Dawn and Eve said in unison before breaking down into a fit of giggles.

Owen raised an eyebrow questioningly. "The test?"

"Duh duh duh!" Dawn and Eve repeated.

Ann smiled slightly. "It's nothing to worry about. Momma's done it to all of our boyfriends."

Lex scoffed lightly. "I remember when I had to go through it. Annie grilled me for two hours!"

"Now don't be fibbing, Lexington Gargoyle! It was not two hours," Ann chided before looking back at Owen. "It was an hour...hour and a half, tops!"

Owen groaned inwardly.

"Okay, now that everyone's here," Ann smiled, "let's all join hands and be on our way."

In a moment, the fifteen figures disappeared in a flash of light.

------

The backyard of the Curran farm flashed with a bright, blinding light and a rousing chorus rose up into the air.

"We wish you a Merry Christmas! We wish you a Merry Christmas! We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!"

The light cleared away, and Ann beamed brightly. The entire Curran clan was standing amongst the snow drifts singing a welcome to the new arrivals.

"Hey, hey, hey," Ann called out, "Yas all can rest. The party...has arrived!"

The two groups began to intermingle, everyone saying their hellos to each other, but one figure hung back.

Emony began to wring her hands incessently, nervously looking over the many strangers before her. The wind had begun to pick up and she shuddered, though she was unsure if it was due to the chill breeze or the awkwardness she was feeling.

One of the young teens, Elaine -- Emony supposed judging from the pictures Ann had shown her over the last several months -- slowly came towards her. The girl pulled her heavy winter coat tighter around her as she looked up at Emony.

"Are you my Auntie Em?" Elaine asked in a soft tone.

Slowly, Emony bent down until she was at eye level with the girl. For a moment, she studied the human's delicate features before replying.

"Yes, I suppose I am."

Suddenly, Em stiffened in surprised as Elaine entwined her arms around Emony's neck and hugged her warmly. Emony hesitated for a moment before she returned the hug.

When the hug was released, Emony rose only to find everyone watching her. An older woman, who could only have been Annie stepped forward, her eyes glazing over. Annie reached out with a shaky hand and gently carressed her long-lost adoptive daughter's cheek.

"My darling baby girl," Annie exhaled heavily. Emony found her being engulfed again, Annie weeping softly against her. "Welcome home."

Emony now found herself beginning to grow teary-eyed, and she held onto the human woman for dear life. After a moment, the sound of someone clearing their throat cut through the air and everyone looked up.

"I really hate to break up the party," Brooklyn shivered. "But need I remind you, I'm practically naked in the snow. I can't feel any of my extremities. And I mean... any of them."

"Well then," Stan smiled. "I believe we should all move inside before Brooklyn here turns into a Garg-cicle." He motioned to the red gargoyle and chuckled.

Ann seconded the motion and everyone gladly made their way towards the warmth the massive farmhouse offered.

Lorrie hung back for a moment, catching Owen's arm before he could get away.

"So," she started slowly. "You're Ann's new boyfriend."

Owen looked coolly back at the blonde. "I am."

Lorrie took a step closer to Owen, her face mere inches from his. "If you hurt my sister they will never find any piece of you! Not even your glasses! Remember, I am a farmer's daughter, I know how to dispose of things!"

"Is that a threat?"

"You want me to sing it to ya?" And with that, Lorrie continued on into the house.

------

Annie stood at the head of the kitchen table, looking calmly at Brooklyn and Owen sitting on either side of it. "So, the two of you have designs on my daughters?"

Brooklyn gulped hard and opened his mouth to respond before he was quickly silence by Annie raisng her hand to stop him.

"Dawnnie," she called across the room. "I've heard stories from your sisters that you've been seeing someone as well. Tell me, when will you be bringing this young man by?"

Dawn looked wryly at the human woman. "There is someone I've been seeing," Dawn's thoughts drifted briefly to Claw and their first meeting at Halloween before she was jarred back to reality. "...But I ain't crazy enough to bring him around for you to scare off. It's bad enough you've put the fear of God into Lex, and now Brooks and Owen."

Annie had been about to respond when she was suddenly silenced by a knock at the front door. She listened carefully as she heard Stan answer it, followed by a few seconds of mumbling, before the distinct sound of the door closing sounded. In a moment, Stan appeared in the livingroom archway. In his hand he held an envelope.

"Ann, something came for you," he held the letter out to the young woman. "It looks very official." Ann took the letter, opened it, and began to silently read it's contents. "Although why it was delievered here I haven't a clue."

Suddenly Ann sunk down in a chair.

"Sweetling?" Annie cooed. "What's wrong?"

"It's from the Warden at the Memico Correctional facility," Ann replied softly. "Jack Payton's up for parole and they want me to attend."

Elisa looked around the room at the Curran family, each in varying stages of shock and worry. After a moment, she spoke. "Who's Jack Payton?"

Colleen leaned over for the clan, Elisa and Owen to hear. "He's the kid that killed Bren, y'know...Ann's husband."

Immediately, Owen was out of his chair and at Ann's side. Without hesitation, the pseudo-human took his girl into his arms. He could feel Ann tremble under his touch, but that was only to be expected in a time such as this.

Annie stood back and watched as Owen comforted her daughter, and she felt a swell of pride deep inside her.

i Ann has made a grande choice, /i Annie said inwardly. i Just look at the way he's holding her, it doesn't seem to phase him in the slightest that she still holds on to Bren's memory. /i 

Annie leaned over to Colleen and whispered. "That one's definitely a keeper."

Colleen stepped toward Ann. and took over for Owen. "Everything's gonna be okay Ducky," she whispered to her sister. "This is just the kind of closure you need. But, y'know what? What's say we take your mind off this and announce our little surprise?"

Ann nodded wordlessly and sniffed, wiping away a falling tear. It took all the strength within her, but she was finally able to will herself calm. With Colleen's help, she stood and the pair approached Emony.

"Em, we have a little surprise for you," Ann started, her voice still wet.

Colleen nodded. "Yes, we wanted to give you something extra special seeing as this is your first Christmas back with the family. We hope you don't mind getting your present a little early, do you?"

Emony was speechless. After a moment's pause, she finally found her voice. "You really didn't have to do that. I'm happy just being here."

"We know," Ann continued, "but it was something we really wanted to do. Please, follow us."

Everyone rose and complied, Ann and Colleen guiding Emony between them.

------

Colleen, Emony and Ann stood in the middle of the basement. Around them was a circle of salt. The clan and the rest of the Curran family was scattered around the cement room watching them intently.

"What is it you are going to do?" Emony asked carefully, nervousness creeping into her voice.

"Well," Colleen began, "like we said before...we wanted to give you your Christmas present early."

"And that would be?"

Ann lit a few candles as she replied. "Em, how much do you remember your life before the Quarrymen got ahold of you?"

Emony thought for a moment. "It's hard to say. It's all pretty much a jumbled mess, especially after what happened at Halloween."

Ann turned to look squarely at her adopted sister. "Wouldn't it be marvellous if you could make sense of it all? And not just of the last two decades, but everything even before your were taken from here?"

Emony regarded Ann carefully. "Are you saying you can fix me here?" she pointed to her head. Both Ann and Colleen nodded wordlessly. "Is it going to hurt?"

"Oh, not at all," Colleen replied. "Just relax and we'll do all the work."

Ann and Colleen all at once became serious and a hush fell over the room. Both women stood ramrod straight, arms raised slightly from their sides, and stood at opposite ends of the circle.

"Hail, Guardians of the North, element of Earth," Ann called out. "Lend your strength and stability to this ritual, gift us with your special powers. Enter here and join us."

"Hail, Guardians of the East, element of Air," Colleen continued. "Lend your wisdom and intellect to this ritual, gift us with your special powers. Enter here and join us."

"Hail, Guardians of the South, element of Fire," Ann said. "Lend your passion and creativity to this ritual, gift us with your special powers. Enter here and join us."

"Hail, Guardians of the West, element of Water," Colleen added. "Lend your transformation and love to this ritual, gift us with your special powers. Enter here and join us."

Ann and Colleen came closer to Emony, sitting in a chair in the exact center of the circle. The human women clasped hands above the green gargoyle and spoke in one, unified voice.

"Divine Spirit, we welcome you into our circle. Come to us and bless us. Gift us with your special powers."

Just as the clan had seen on Halloween, a golden, hazey dome rose up around the women, encasing them.

Ann let go of one of her sisters hand and reached over to a pedestal next to them upon which sat a fire-proof bowl filled with herbs and a small piece of paper with a spiral drawn on it. Ann flicked a cigarette light to life and set the paper on fire, the herbs beginning to smoulder. She then clasped Colleen's hand again.

"Holy Mother, we ask for you to bring your blessings upon these herbs so they may restore the health of your childe, Emony. So mote it be!"

"Let her be healed. As we will it, so shall it be," they chanted in unison.

The chanted continued on for several minutes as Emony breathed deeply, the scent of the herbs filling her senses. Suddenly, Emony saw a flash in her mind and her head jerked back as if she had been hit. Whispers began to circulate around the room.

Several images flashed by her mind's eye and it was as if her mind was like a giant jigsaw puzzles, all her memories sliding into place like puzzle pieces.

"Thank you, honourable spirits," Ann called. "Go it you must, stay if you like. Hail and farewell."

Ann and Colleen released each others hands and the protective dome immediately began to melt away. Brooklyn was at Emony's side in an instant. "Em, how do you feel?"

Emony was silent for several seconds as she tried to register what had happened to her. "I...I think so. It's a little fuzzy right now, but I think it worked."

"Do you remember anything specifically?" Ann asked carefully, snuffing the candles.

Emony smiled slightly and looked at Lorrie. "I remember Lor tying me to a tree in the back Forty in the middle of a rainstorm with my own skipping rope when I was three." Lorrie looked sheepish. "Momma grounded her for a week for that stunt!"

Colleen smiled triumphantly at her parents. "Look Ma! We fixed her!"

Everyone laughed hard.

------

It was turning out to be a real adventure, Brooklyn had to admit. Emony had never seemed happier than this very moment, the memories of her childhood before her abduction beginning to flood back. Emony had wanted to take him somewhere, he could hardly refuse her anything, so he had allowed her to lead him out into the open Canadian sky.

It had taken them less than five minutes to pass over the entire town and were rapidly approaching a small woodland. The healing ritual that Ann and Colleen had perform had seemed to change Emony. She somehow seemed more confident and sure of herself. He was glad for her.

The pair was now nearing their final destination, the Waterford Ponds.

Brooklyn and Emony landed softly on the sandy shore. Emony stared out over the frozen pond before turning and heading towards the woodland. "It's got to be around here somewhere."

Brooklyn followed her gaze. "What are you looking for?"

"My memories are still a little broken but I remember Papa bringing the family here a lot in the summer. There used to be...ah, here it is!" Emony smiled broadly as she took Brooklyn's hand and led him into a nest of bushes. Beyond the bushes laid a small cave opening, and Brooklyn smiled wryly.

"Whoa! Deja vu."

Emony led him further in.

Brooklyn was blinded by the darkness. Even with his gargoyle vision he could barely see two feet in front of him. "Are you sure you know where you're going?"

"The masked men did many things to me. Even though they took me away from my family and tortured me, they gave me many things in return. A great sense of direction bordering on precognitive was one, another being an enhanced vision." Emony shrugged. "I suppose they wanted me to be able to find my target as easily as possible. They came in real handy in the wild."

Emony slipped away from him. He reached up and realized they had come into a large cavern. "Em?" His voice echoed.

"Hold on a sec," Emony replied. There was a quick scratching sound and a single flame highlighted her face. She was lighting a small oil lamp with a pack of matches.

Brooklyn came farther into the cave and sat down. He watched the light flicker against the walls and sparkle against the high ceiling. He frowned. "What's making it sparkle like that?"

Emony sat down next to him. "I don't rightly know. I remember...I used to come here while the others were swimming. I would pretend I was a princess in a fearie cave and the sparkles were the faeries and they were talking to me." Emony looked at him, seeing the broad smile. "I know, it sounds real simple and stupid, and maybe I am but that's the kind of things a child's imagination comes up with."

"No," Brooklyn replied, still smiling. "It's not stupid. It's no stupid at all. Is patheti-sad a word?"

Emony pushed him playfully. "Shut up. I used to play like that for hours on end...I was a kid."

"Forget patheti-sad...is weir-dork a word?"

"I don't know," Emony smiled slightly. "Is sarcasti-bastard a word?"

Emony giggled as Brooklyn put an arm around her. "Well, why doesn't Patheti-sad Weir-dork and Sarcasti-bastard sit in this here fearie cave and listen to what the fearies have to say, hmm?"

Emony leaned against him, watching the lamp light flicker against the sparkling walls and listening to the sharp winter winter howling outside.

------

_**Dec 24, 2003**_

Ann sat quietly in the near empty courtroom, the only other person in the room was Owen sitting next to her. She was relieved that he had offered to accompany her, she wasn't so sure that she could've gotten through this ordeal alone.

Soon, three older gentlemen dressed in long black robes entered from a side room -- obviously they were the officiants. The men took their seats behind the judge's bench. Then, the door on the opposite side of the room opened and out came a young man in an orange jumpsuit and a uniformed officer. The young man was quickly hustled to one of the councilor's tables and instructed to sit.

Ann watched the young man carefully and she began to wring her hands nervously. Suddenly, she felt Owen squeeze her hand, and she smiled at him. She knew he was trying to comfort her but she really wasn't sure what she wanted.

The older man sitting in the middle of judge's bench cleared his throat conspicuously. "Sir, you are Jackson Gregory Payton?"

"Yes, sir," the young man replied.

"Good morning. I am Commissioner Vizzie. With me are Commissioners Smith and Doyle." The other two men nodded wordlessly. "Mr. Payton, you are here for your initial appearance before the Parole Board. You have entered a plea of guilty to manslaughter in the second degree. The Court imposed a term of three to five years; is that correct?"

"Yes, sir," Jack replied.

"We note for the record this is your first and only conviction of record, and going along with that, of course, is your first time in the Provinical prison system; is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

Ann shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The boy's tone was too calm, as if he felt no guilt or remorse over taking her husband's life.

Commissioner Vizzie continued.

"This involves an incident occurring in September of 2002 whereby you were in possession of a .38-caliber revolver. You apparently had some premeditated thought with regard to this incident. You entered the "Next Door Variety" store in Toronto, Ontario wherein you attempted to abscond with $500 dollars in stolen cash and merchandise. Upon exiting the store, one Lieutenent Brennan Darsyn Cole of the Toronto Police Department demanded you lay down on the pavement, which you denied. At an opportune time, you apparently shot him a number of times, maybe as many as three or four. The record indicates that perhaps the revolver discharged four times. You hit him four times with hollow-point bullets, and indeed you caused his death. Is that an accurate depiction of what happened, sir?"

"Yes, sir, it is," Jack replied.

Ann felt herself become numb, and the words around her were drowned out, leaving nothing but the pounding of her own heart. There was nothing more she would've loved then to lung across the spectator's gate and throttle Jack Payton into another incarnation.

Suddenly, she was jarred back to reality.

"Mr. Payton, have you given thought in the past two years to the family and friends of Lieutenent Cole and to how they were trying to deal with the loss of a loved one?" Vizzie inquired.

Jack shifted slightly. "Yes, I have."

"With that being said, I would like to ask for Ann Eadoin Cole, widow of Lieutenent Brennan Cole, to please step forward."

Ann stood, her legs feeling like they were about to collapse from underneath her at at moment. Everyone turned to look at her.

"Present," Ann said in a small voice.

"Is there anything you would like to say in regards to this matter, Mrs Cole?" Vizzie asked in a gentle tone.

Ann took a moment to squeeze Owen's hand for courage before she spoke. "When my husband passed away, I found it very difficult to carry on with my life, and if I didn't have my children, I'd most likely be in the plot next to him. Brennan was my world and the center of my children's universe. For the last two years we have tried to pick up the pieces and continue on. All I can ask is that you make this decision with your conscience. Thank you."

A hush fell over the room as she sat back down. Ann chanced a glance at Jack. He was watching her with the most intent look. She quickly looked away in an attempt to push back the tears that were threatening to escape. Ann felt Owen's arm settle around her shoulders and pull her close to him. The comforting embrace did nothing to quell the sorrow she felt.

"Mr. Payton," Commisioner Smith started, "not only did you take the life of a police officer, but you also took the life of someone who was a husband and a father of three children.

"Yes, sir," Jack responded.

Commissioner Doyle jotted something down onto his papers. "Mr. Payton, is there anything else you'd like to add to the interview, something we haven't discussed perhaps?"

There was a pause as Jack looked around at everyone.

"Yes. I want to say that I realise that I don't have a right to be here. I gave up that right on the morning of September 21st when I took Lieutenent Cole's life. What I did was despicable. I believe that once you take a person's life, that's it. And I will not appeal any decision you make. If it's a decision to continue me here in the prison, I will not appeal it, and I never will. I'd like the opportunity to apologize to Mrs. Cole. I've thought about everything that has happened from her perspective: that she would never see her husband alive again, or her children to never play with their father again, to be up all night looking through old photo albums. I would like to straighten out one other thing about that. I have heard - I don't know if it's true or not -I've heard that she feels I would harm her and her children. That's absolutely not true. I never had that thought, and I would not harm her or her children. And I'm not saying that to try to get cut. I'm saying that's the truth. I don't have that in me. He was breathing, and I knocked him right off his feet, and I don't feel because of that I have any right to be standing on my feet here, you know, asking for anything. I don't have a leg to stand on because I took his right out from under him, and he bled to death." He turned to look squarely at Ann. "...and I'm sorry about that. And I want to talk about Mrs. Cole again. I can't imagine her pain. I can't feel it. I've tried to think what it would be like if someone harmed my family, and there's just no way to make up for that, and if I have to stay in prison the rest of my life for that one person's pain, everybody else to the side for a second, just that one person's pain, I will. Again, I'm not saying these things for - for you to give any kind of consideration of letting me go. It's a horrible thing to, you know, realize what you've done."

Vizzie cleared his throat and closed the file folder in front of him. "Mr. Payton, your case will be given appropriate review. Commissioners Smith and Doyle and myself will discuss the matter."

"Yes, sir."

"You'll get that in several days. Thank you for coming."

And with that, the Commissioners rose and exited out the same door as they had come. The uniformed officer pulled Jack to his feet and guided out of the room.

Ann sat and watched them leave, her eyes glazing over. When Jack and the officer reached the door, he stoppe for a brief second and looked back at her. Ann saw something in his eyes she had never seen before. Not in the first trial, not at any time in the parole hearing, and she almost didn't believe it. Remorse, in it's raw, most pure form.

When the door closed and ann and Owen were the only one's left in the room, Ann's head dropped into her hands and her body began to shake.

"My love," Owen said soothingly. It was the first thing he had said since they entered the room. "Will you be alright?"

There was a few seconds of silence before Ann sniffed and regained her composure. With her eyes glazed over and her voice wet, she replied.

"I want to go home."

------

Ann and Owen didn't arrive back at the farm until well after night had fallen. They said nothing to anyone as Owen guided Ann through the house. Ann was tired, this Owen knew -- mainly because of the listless look in her eyes -- so he steered her straight for her bedroom.

After seeing Ann to the bed, Owen eased her down onto the mattress, reached over and pulled the blankets up and over her.

Ann looked at Owen strangely. "Honey, I really don't feel like sleeping."

"Okay," Owen smiled. "But you need to rest. Resting does not equal sleeping. Now just close your eyes, and rest, if only for a little while."

Ann nodded and did as instructed.

Once satisfied that Ann was indeed resting, Owen stepped away from the bed, sat down in the nearby armchair, and pulled the afghan over him.

Glancing up briefly, Owen found Ann watching him with a sleepy expression on her face. "What are you doing, love?"

"I'm going to stay here with you tonight. I just want to wake sure you're going to be alright, alright?"

Ann raised herself up on her elbows and looked at him. "I appreciate your concern, love, but it doesn't seem right that you should be on that uncomfortable-looking thing. This is a big bed. Come sleep here with me, please. I've missed your touch so very much," Ann said softly as she yawned, sleep fighting to take control.

Owen gave his head a hard shake and tried to deal with the urges rising from deep inside of him. He knew, without a doubt, if he was to lay next to her, he would not be able to control himself, and the last thing he wanted was to push her into something that she wasn't ready for.

He took several deep breaths before replying. "Beloved, ummm… I think it might be best if I stayed on the couch."

"Oh…" Ann said, a lil disheartened. She was desperately hoping he would, as she needed him to hold her, for it was only within his arms that Ann felt truly safe and secure.

Owen messed with the blankets a little longer, trying to keep his hands busy and redirect his thoughts, when he had heard Ann's answer in a warm yet slightly wounded tone.

Owen stopped messing with the blanket and took a very shaky breath before slowly walking over to the bed and laying next to her. Although both were still fully clothed, the closeness of their bodies cause Owen to heat up slightly.

_Behave...you can handle this_, Owen thought inwardly.

Soon, Ann's hands began to roam...

------

Teagan woken up sometime around eleven o'clock. As he shuffled past him mother's room on his way back to his own, he stopped and listened intently, hearing strange sounds coming from within. From somewhere behind the young boy, Chris had come out of his own room and approached.

"Hey, bud," Chris said sleepily. What are you still doing up? Santa won't come if your awake."

"I had to go to the bathroom," Teagan replied then returned his attention to his mother's closed bedroom door. "What if Santa's come early? Maybe he's in with Momma giving her her gift early."

Chris put his ear to the door and his features fell. "Well," he looked down at his cousin, "If Santa is in there, it sounds like she really likes her gift."

Quickly, Chris hurried Teagan back to his room.

------

It wasn't until two in the morning when Owen left Ann's room. He was passing through the kitchen on the way to his room when he spotted Brooklyn sitting by himself at the table.

"Where is everyone else?" Owen asked, looking out a nearby window.

"Dawn and Eve took Em out to show her the town, kinda refresh her memory, and everyone else in in the basment." Brooklyn crooked an eyebrow at Owen. "What about you? Where have you been?"

Owen was quiet. Brooklyn smiled brightly.

"You had sex, didn't you?"

Owen still said nothing, a dreamy, faraway look shrouding over her features.

"You were in Ann's room all night?"

"Uh huh," Owen said absently mindedly.

"Did you?"

"Uh huh."

"Was she?"

"Uh huh."

"So...how was it?"

Owen smiled a very Puckish grin and continued on his way.

"Well, "Brooklyn called after him. "How was it?"

------

_**Dec 25, 2003**_

Christmas morning on the Curran farm was certainly a surprise to behold for the clan -- a beautifully decorated tree, brightly wrapped gift boxes, piled high --nearly to the ceiling -- and holiday foods as far as the eye could see. Obviously, the family had elected to wait 'til the clan woken that evening until they undid the tree. No sooner had the stone shards fell from the gargoyles awakening bodies were the men of the house under the tree, sitting cross-legged on the floor and vigorously shaking all the presents while they waited for everyone to appear.

Sitting down in an armchair next to Dawn, Eve, and Emony on the couch, Ann watched the guys in front of the tree. "Y'know," Ann started slowly, leaning in and whispering to her adoptive sisters, "It has always amazed me how quickly grown men can be reduced to the mentality of two-year-olds in just one night."

Eve giggled slightly "I know what you mean, but this is nothing. Just wait until St Patrick's Day. I overheard Brooklyn and Lex talking one day. Brooklyn said he drank so much green beer one year that he swears he pee-ed green for a whole week!"

The girls fell into fits of giggles. Elisa joined them in laughing as she sat down next to Ann.

"Merry Christmas, Elisa, how's the little one?" Dawn smiled at her friend.

"Not bad, gettin' bigger and a little tender in spots, but doing alright. Thanks for asking."

Ann starely listlessly out the window, watching night set it.

"Are you okay sis?" Colleen asked, sidling up next to her youngest sister.

"Yeah, I suppose."

Colleen put an arm around Ann. "C'mon, cheer up. It's Christmas!" Ann looked at her sister, wordlessly raising a eyebrow questioningly. "I still have William Shatner's Christmas album if it'll put you in the mood."

Ann smiled slightly. "Yeah, to climb a clock tower and thin out the neighborhood."

Ann moved away from the window, taking a seat next to Owen. Her body was replaced by Rose's next to Colleen.

"Y'know," Rose whispered. "I find it very unseemly of Ann to start dating again. Isn't the customary period of mourning 10 years?"

Colleen looked incredulously at Rose. "Die. Let's find out." She then moved away. "Okay," Colleen piped up, drawing everyone attention. "What d'ya say we get this party started?"

"I completely agree," Annie chimed, taking a seat next to Emony.

In a moment, they heard a soft jingling from the hall.

"Ho ho ho!" someone bellowed. The kids exchanged a quizzical expression before a tall figure clad in a red and white suit stepped around the corner carrying a large sack.

"It's Santa," Jay exclaimed happily. "He really did come!"

The figure came closer. Of course, the adults all knew it was only Michael dressed up as Santa, but they played along for the sake of the kids.

"Ho ho ho!" Michael reitereted before a tearing noise cut through the air. It was the sack, and in a moment, dozens of brightly wrapped boxes spilled out from the hole that had ripped through the sack. "Oh crap!" Michael breathed.

Kaitlin's mouth dropped open. "Santa swore!"

"I'm sure Santa didn't mean to," Annie replied quickly then glared at her son-in-law. "Did he?"

Michael gave a sheepish grin to Annie before getting back in character.

Soon, Michael began passing out the gifts, bits of wrapping paper flying everywhere.

Brooklyn and Broadway had found a pair of toy dart guns and began shooting all the girls in the butt with them, making everyone laugh.

"I'm not getting up!" Elisa giggled. "Hitting my backside is like hitting the broadside of a barn...ya can't miss it! Mr Curran, got a yield sign out in the garage I can use?"

"Nope, darlin', you look just great!" Stan replied, giving her a firm nod. "Okay," Stan said, rubbing his hands together, "Now that Santa has delivered the special presents, what's say we undo the tree." The kids all cheered in unison. "This year I'd like to differ the duty of passing out the presents to Ann."

Ann squealed happily as she kneeled next to the tree.

"I feel just like Santa Claus...except thinner...and younger...and female...and well, Wiccan," she giggled as she began to pass everything out.

It took a long time to undo the tree due to the simple fact that there was many people in the house -- at least a good three hours. When everything had been passed out, many of the men were teasing the kids by taking their toys just so they could play with them.

Once again, everyone made out like bandits, Emony most of all as this was her first Christmas back with the family.

Soon everyone heard a loud rumbling and a horn blaring at a nasty, ear-drilling level.

"What in blazes!" Hudson said, startled, setting his coffee cup down. Everyone rose and made their way out to the front veranda just in time to see a black BMW and a cherry red sportscar come to a screeching halt at the bottom of the steps. Ann was in the sportscar driver's seat and Lorrie was in the BMW.

"Amanda," Ann smiled as she slid out of the sportscar and motioned to the BMW. "Merry christmas. And this wonderful little gem," she carressed the sportscar, "belongs to my little Chrissy-fur."

Both Amanda's and Christopher's mouths gaped. as they took the keys and slid into the driver's seats of their respective vehicles, speechless.

Ann smiled broadly. "I ain't done yet." And she looked back down the driveway. In a moment, a second rumbling drifted on the air, causing everyone to look back up the driveway in time to see three low-rider custom motorcycles coming closer, a cloud of snow kicking up from beneath the wheels. When the bikes screeched to a stop, the driver's pulled off their helmets to reveal Emony, Angela, and Eve sitting in the driver's seats.

Ann giggled and pointed up at the crowd. "Brooklyn, Broadway, Lexington... front and centre." Dutifully, the trio descended the stairs and approached their friend, a quizzical expression on their faces. The trio's girlfriends proudly tossed the helmets and keys at them. "Merry Christmas, my boys...now don't kill yourselves."

"Y-Ya-You-Your kiddin' me right?" Brooklyn asked, his voice waivering slightly.

"No hon, these are all yours...lock, stock and barrel!" Ann beamed proudly, hugging him. Everyone joined the trio by the bikes. Each bike was black and detailed with a hue to match each of their body colours. And across the gas tanks were their namesemblazoned in gold lettering.

Ann then handed the trio and her eldest neice and nephew each an envelope. "Here are the ownership papers, licence stickers and insurance papers which are all paid in full for five years.

Ann suddenly found herself engulfed by five very thankful people. When she was released, Owen pulled her into his arms to warm her.

"How did you do this? These are amazing!" Brooklyn asked as he inspected his bike.

"Oh," she smiled. "It's nothing. Paul Teutel owed me a favour and I cashed it in."

Brooklyn eyed the human carefully. "You know Paul Teutel? Paul Sr? As in the founder of the OCC? The American Choppers?"

"Oh?" Ann asked in mock innocence. "You've heard of them?"

Brooklyn scoffed. "Heard of them? I watch that show whenever I can wrestle the remote away from Hudson...they are my Yoda."

Ann couldn't resist a giggle.

"Okay now… I know of three guys that are just itching to try these things out, so," Ann smiled at the trio as she climbed on the back of Brooklyn's bike. "Impress the hell outta me, c'mon." Smiling, Brooklyn, Broadway and Lexington revved up the engines and disappeared down the driveway.

When the trio had returned an hour later, everyone was now back in the livingroom.

"Ho, ho, ho!" crowed Michael, wearing the jaunty Santa hat that he had had on earlier.

Hudson eyed the human carefully. "Just how many eggnogs have ye had, lad?"

"Not nearly enough!" Michael answered back amiably.

Elaine looked into her glass with a curious expression on her face. "Auntie Ann? My nog tastes funny. I think I got one with rum in it."

"That's bad," Ann said, taking the glass from the young girl.

Broadway reached down to tossled Elaine'shair. "Yeah, now Santa's gonna pass you right by, naughty boozehound." the gargoyle chuckled to show he was just kidding.

Across the room, Ann and Colleen sat on the couch, talking quietly. Colleen waved a hand in front of her face. Both women glanced over to Rose who stood nearby talking with Elisa. "What is that perfume you're wearing?" Colleen asked.

"Yes, I've been wondering that, too," Ann added.

"Madame Boudoir. It's really good. For 100 bucks, I can drown myself in it," Rose explained, striking a model pose.

Ann leaned into Colleen and whispered. "I have 60." Both women laughed hard. Rose, not having heard what had been said, looked at her sisters with a puzzled expression before moving away.

"Hey, Goliath," Stan called as he walked into the livingroom. "There's someone at the door for you!"

Goliath smiled and made his way into the foyer. Stan shh-ed everyone and listened carefully as they heard the lavender gargoyle open the heavy oak door, followed by three or four PLOP sounds. Everyone moved around to look into the foyer only to see Goliath covered in snow and the very familiar sound of tittering children on the front lawn.

With a deadpan expression, Golaith looked out the door. "This is Goliath, leader of the Manhattan Clan. I'm very large and have a very short temper. And I am probably the only adult who will sue little children." Goliath then summarily shut the door.

Everyone killed themselves laughing. Ann glanced over at her father who himself was doubled over in his own laughter. "Y'know what?" Ann smiled wryly, "You're a furry little gnome and we feed you too much."

"And I love you too, sweetheart!" Stan smiled back.

"She where did you disappear off to?" Ann asked her father as she sipped at her egg nog.

"I was on the phone, long distance."

"God?"

"Chatham."

"God lives in Chatham?"

"My mother lives in Chatham."

"Grandma is God?"

"Ann..." Stan chided.

"So, God is a woman."

"Ann..." he re-iterated.

"And a relative. That's so cool. I'm gonna totally ask for favours."

Stan look helplessly at Owen sitting next to her. "Make her stop."

"Oh, like I could." Owen replied, smiling slightly.

Suddenly, Broadway's voice cut through the din. "Mrs Curran, I just gotta say..." he pointed the small plate he held. "...this is the best pie in the history of pie."

Annie laughed. "Thank you, my dear, that means a lot coming from you."

Everyone joined in on the laughter.

------

_**Dec 29, 2003**_

"Sweetheart," Stan called to Ann as he walked into the livingroom. "You've got a letter."

Ann looked up from the Euchre game she was playing with her human sisters. She was a little hesitant at taking the letter, remember the news the last letter had bore only a few short days ago. With a quivering hand, she tore it open and silent read its contents. After a moment, she heavily.

"What does it say?" Colleen asked.

"Jack's out. The board approved his early parole...on the grounds of good behaviour, it says." Owen gave Ann's hand a comforting squeeze. She smiled up at him. "I'll be okay. I mean, they couldn't hold him forever. Rationally, I knew he'd be out at some point. I was just hoping it wouldn't be for a long while."

"Honey," Annie coaxed gently. "It's okay to be angry."

Ann looked up at her mother calmly. "But that's just it, I'm not angry. I don't know why, but I'm not." She looked lovingly at Owen. "Everything's gonna be okay."

Owen smiled back.

------

_**Jan 3, 2004 -- Castle Wyvern/Eyrie Building**_

Ann slowly peeled all of her clothes off, then carefully slipped into the warm bath water Owen had drawn for her. The psuedo-human was already emersed in the warming liquid, waiting for her. Sitting down, her back to him, Ann felt the soft rubbing of the loofa sponge on her skin. Involuntarily, she let out a soft moan. Ann couldn't remember the last time she felt so blissfully happy. Owen's ministrations were so gently that she found herself sinking into that beautiful void between sleep and awake. After a moment, she leaned back against him and he enfolded her within his broad arms.

The pair sat like that for quite some time, wordlessly with Owen holding her in a backwards hug, with nothing but the sound of the sloshing water, the gently rays of moonlight filtering through an open window, and the romanitic light from the dozens of candles in the room highlighting their bare skin.

Soon, when both of their skin began to pucker from the over exposure to water, they rose, dried off, and Owen escorted Ann back into his private suite.

Since Christmas Eve, the two of them had grown closer still now that the sexual tension between them had been appeased.

Owen led Ann to the bed and they both slipped under the covers. Ann snuggled herself into Owen's chest.

Leaning down, Owen planted a featherlight kiss on Ann's soft lips. In one fluid motion, Ann brought her arms up around Owen's neck, drawing him to her. Ann deepened the kiss as she pulled him right up flush against her body with only the thin material of the blanket separating the two.

When the kiss finally broke, Ann rested her forehead against Owen's and whispered. "Have I told you recently just how much I love you?"

Owen smile and removed his glasses, placing them on the nightstand. "Yes, many times, but I never get tired of hearing it."

Owen kissed Ann deeply and began to slowly until her robe with his free hand. She giggled slightly against his lips and began to do the same to him.

Puck, who had been dormant for the last couple weeks, suddenly crowed inside Owen's head.

_Bow wow, chica-chica-chica, bow wow!_

THE END


End file.
